Pathankot JIT’s visit positive, says Indian minister

NEW DELHI: The meeting between Indian and Pakistani investigators was “positive” and the Pakistani side did “not contradict” India’s findings in the Pathankot airbase attack probe, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Friday.

He, however, said no date had yet been fixed for the visit of the Indian investigation team to Pakistan.

“The meeting between Indian and Pakistani investigators is positive. They (Pakistani team) have not contradicted our findings,” the minister of state for home told reporters here.

Rijiju was replying to a question about the visit of a Pakistani Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to India in the Pathankot terror case during which they recorded the statements of the witnesses.

“It all went well and satisfactorily. Our agencies have done whatever was necessary,” he said.

The Pakistani team was given some more documents which included DNA report of the four terrorists killed in the 80-hour gunbattle with security forces in Pathankot.

‘No date set for visit to Pakistan by Indian investigators’

Asked when an Indian team would visit Pakistan to investigate the January 2 attack on the airbase, Rijiju said no date had yet been fixed for the visit.

The minister had earlier defended his government’s decision to allow the Pakistani team to visit the IAF base to investigate the terrorist attack, saying no one should do politics on national security issues.

The Congress, Aam Aadmi Party and Shiv Sena had criticised the government for allowing the Pakistani team to visit the forward airbase in Punjab.